Getting his kicks by the numbers

STOCKTON - You'd think Abel Godoy was a nerd, the way he constantly whips a calculator out of his pocket to do a little math.

Dana M. Nichols

STOCKTON - You'd think Abel Godoy was a nerd, the way he constantly whips a calculator out of his pocket to do a little math.

But you'd be wrong.

Godoy, who came to the United States from the Mexican state of Jalisco when he was 16, didn't attend high school or college. If he had, he probably would have been on the businessman/jock track.

Instead of learning in school, Godoy learned from working, trying his hand over the years at driving a truck and operating a variety store that catered to the needs of other Mexican immigrants.

Now he's the owner of Soccer City.

Ask him how big the market for soccer gear is in Stockton, and out comes the calculator.

"Hmm. In adults in town, I think there are around 100 teams," he said, and started pushing buttons.

Moments later comes an answer: Organized leagues in Stockton include roughly 3,000 children ages 6 to 16 and about 1,500 adults.

Godoy estimates he sells something each year - whether a uniform or gear - to 70 percent of those players.

And that doesn't even count the fans who might come in to buy a jersey bearing the logo of teams from around the world, such as Club America based in Mexico City, the Chivas de Guadalajara, or perhaps Barca, a popular team in Barcelona, Spain.

Godoy admits the first few years were challenging. At first, people came to try shoes in his store, then bought from online retailers.

So he cut his prices to match the online stores.

Also, he faces competition from big-box sporting goods stores.

His solution: to carry a much wider range of products. He has the same $60 soccer shoes that the big boxes carry, but he also has the $220 ultra-light models made from kangaroo hide that the big boxes might not have.

Godoy says that shoes are his most significant product line, but that he also does a substantial business in uniforms.

Godoy, now 43, said a family-run business has proved valuable not only as a source of income, but also because of the lessons it has taught his children.

For example, when he first opened Soccer City, Godoy said one big challenge was that many in the city's large soccer community didn't know he was there. So he spent weekends visiting the fields where leagues were in play, getting to know coaches and organizing events at his store to serve their needs.

"They know who I am," Godoy said.

And his children, Godoy said, know that money doesn't grow on trees.

Now, in addition to providing work for himself, his wife and his two children, Godoy employs four people in the store.

"What helped a lot was word of mouth," Godoy said. "That works, but it works slowly."